


lover; before the red

by sleepoverdose



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Bittersweet, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Guilt, Kim Mingyu is Whipped, M/M, Minghao Can't Say No to Mingyu, Minor Angst, Slow Dancing, Song: Lover (Taylor Swift), Writer's Block
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:47:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23661784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepoverdose/pseuds/sleepoverdose
Summary: mingyu asks minghao to dance in their shared apartment.and that's all there is, really.(alternatively; a memory before everything happened)
Relationships: Kim Mingyu/Xu Ming Hao | The8
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	lover; before the red

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Eyes on the Red](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23332909) by [areyoufr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/areyoufr/pseuds/areyoufr). 



> song suggestion while reading: taylor swift's lover (first dance remix) !!
> 
> also, this au was inspired by: (1) whoever made that xu minghao lover album cover edit on twitter; (2) /areyoufr's "Eyes On The Red"
> 
> i actually imagined this scene set before all the angst in that story (bc i hate angst like that lmfao) so if y'all will read this, maybe you should check out their work too? it made me cry two times so i had to fight it with something bittersweet
> 
> hope you guys like it!

Minghao stares at the outstretched hand in front of him.

The living room was suddenly dimly lit, the bottom light switch turned off moments ago. There was only the glow from the city—surrounding them, yet looking so distant—coming from the glass windows of their small apartment.

And Mingyu was standing before him, leaning down.

 _There_ , _right there_ , Minghao thinks.

He looks perfect, wearing nothing but an oversized wool sweater, mismatched days-old pajamas, and his smile. The golden brown of his skin is barely seen in the shadows—and yet, he basks in the city lights.

“May I have this dance?” Mingyu asks him, voice ever so soft, barely fitting the loose grin on his face.

Minghao flashes him a look, more of a lopsided smile and a questioning eyebrow, from his seat on the worn-out couch. He was buried under a pile of paperwork, with several transactions and files laid out, but it still didn’t stop Mingyu from asking.

A sudden invitation to dance? Of course Mingyu would do that, Minghao thinks.

“Are we really doing this?” He spares another glance at his hand, course and rough from all his hard work, from holding everything dear to him way too tightly. It was still offered to him, waiting—and in that moment it had never looked so empty without his.

Mingyu tilts his head, wondering what was wrong—what was missing. “Oh?”

 _I really have to finish this,_ is what Minghao tells himself. Mingyu can wait. He always does.

Except, with the way his boyfriend’s eyes almost shine in anticipation, Minghao realizes that he doesn’t really have much of a choice, does he?

But before he can even open his mouth in response, Mingyu’s face lights up in recognition. “Ah, right!”

And in an instant, Mingyu draws back his hand, breaking the spell.

“Wha—“

“I’ll be right back!” Mingyu tells him, then hurrying towards the kitchen. “Stay there!”

There suddenly came what seemed to be sounds of blind searching, crashing pots and pans, clinking of glass bottles, and frantic exclaims.

Minghao only needed to wait for a few minutes for Mingyu to come back to the living room, a mini-Bluetooth speaker on hand.

“Music?” He smiles, again.

What was Minghao supposed to do except hand over his phone?

Mingyu enthusiastically takes it, and quickly searches the room for a table, then settling on the kitchen counter. Minghao could only let out a sigh at the sight of him, brows furrowed and lips turned to a pout, clumsily tapping the phone.

It were times like these, when Minghao sees Mingyu—doing _things_ , all with his heart on his sleeve, that he really wonders what on earth did he do to deserve him. Even now, in their shared apartment, where he could just take a break from everything, he was still doing small gestures to show Minghao what he means to him.

It was all too much. Mingyu gives too much.

Minghao quietly takes off his glasses, and starts to fix his papers. He picks them all up and puts them away, all stacked neatly on the coffee table.

If Mingyu was going to ask him to dance, he might as well act his part.

“No, no, no, remain seated!” Mingyu whines, noticing Minghao standing up. He was still fumbling with the speaker, glancing up every now and then.

“What?” Minghao asks, ignoring his pleas and continuing to approach him, “Did you change your mind already?”

_Beep. Speaker connected._

“Nooooo, come here,” Mingyu hurries towards him as soon as he fixed the settings. He grasps his wrist, gently, and leads him back to the couch. He pushes him back, making him sit down.

Mingyu proceeds to brush off the imaginary lint on Minghao’s skirt and shirt. Minghao lets out a confused, entertained giggle. “What are you doing?”

He grasps Minghao’s shoulders and stares at him, his eyes widening for emphasis. “I’m supposed to ask you first. Sit down.”

Minghao laughs, shaking his head as Mingyu rushes to the kitchen counter again to choose a song.

In a second, the room was filled with a slow, slow melody—with the staggering beat of drums, a smooth bass riff, soft chorus of voices, and soothing piano notes.

Minghao couldn’t help but smile at Mingyu hurriedly running back to the living room.

He stops right in front of him again and leaning down, just like earlier—with the same wide grin and those big brown eyes that tell nothing but the truth.

Mingyu can do this all over again, for years and years to come, and he will still—always, look beautiful to Minghao.

Minghao knows he really hasn’t done anything to deserve him.

“May I have this dance?”

And yet he wishes. He really does.

 _Stay_ , Minghao asks, with all his heart. _Please stay._

“Yes. Yes, you may.”

And this time, Minghao takes his hand.

**Author's Note:**

> i've really been in a writing slump lately and was in the process of writing two fics before these but eventually gave up on it :((
> 
> i'm not really proud of this,, but it's progress right? i hope i get to write more stories that i'll love in the future
> 
> as always, thank you for reading! kudos and comments are highly appreciated <3


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